Founded in 1974, RAMS, Inc. is a private, non-profit mental health agency that is committed to advocating for and providing community based, culturally-competent, and consumer-guided comprehensive services, with an emphasis on serving Asian & Pacific Islander Americans. RAMS is committed to reflecting the multicultural & multilingual diversity of our community.

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Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Today's
guest post is from Danni Biondini, MA, Behavioral Health Counselor at RAMS
who also serves as the Program Coordinator for the Summer Bridge program, which is an 8-week summer mentoring program for San Francisco
high school students, designed "to promote awareness of psychological
well-being and foster interest in the helping professions".

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RAMS Summer Bridge has completed its fifth summer! A diverse group of youth, between the ages of 16-19, graduated from this MHSA-funded workforce development program. The program culminated in a graduation ceremony at California Institute of Integral Studies on Thursday, July 31st. The participants celebrated with their families, as well as RAMS staff/administration. Each of the 25 participants received a certificate of completion, as well as a stipend check for their involvement.

Over the course of the 8-week program, the participants learned about working in the field of Psychology and the helping professions. Through guest speakers and field trips, they met with licensed psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, marriage and family therapists, and professional clinical counselors. One of the highlights of the program was the field trip to Psychiatric Emergency Services at San Francisco General Hospital, where the participants saw firsthand what it’s like to work in a psychiatric emergency room. Another participant cited visiting the RAMS Fu Yau Project as her favorite experience, since learning about preschool mental health consultation strengthened her resolve to become a child psychologist.

Besides learning about the various paths to working in the mental health field, the participants were introduced to basic listening and counseling skills, ideas about stigma and the origins of mental illness, and strategies for practicing self-care. They presented final projects on some of the topics that interested them more, including: eating disorders, the intergenerational transmission of trauma.

The youth developed strong relationships with each other, with the three peer mentors, and with the three staff members. One of the most notable comments that the staff received was that

Summer Bridge was the only place some of these youth have ever felt comfortable to be themselves.

More than just an opportunity to learn, this program provided a new template for social experiences with peers.

Now, the participants will return to high school, or head off to college, with this new knowledge about steps to take for their futures. All participants are invited to join Youth Council, the youth advisory board for RAMS, which meets throughout the school year. After the program ended, Summer Bridge hosted an end-of-summer reunion for this year’s cohort to meet previous cohorts. To further build upon and sustain lasting relationships, Summer Bridge will host another reunion in the winter.

LEARN MORE ABOUT ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN MENTAL HEALTH DAY

Richmond Area Multi-Services, Inc. (RAMS) honors “Asian Pacific American Mental Health Day” on May 10th which was first established in 2010, as declared by the State of California and the City & County of San Francisco, recognizing the importance of raising awareness about mental health in the Asian Pacific American community. The establishment of Asian Pacific American Mental Health Day was an effort spearheaded by RAMS and overwhelmingly supported by many major associations and community coalitions. “Since May is already established nationally as the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and Mental Health Awareness Month, instituting this day in May more closely aligns both awareness efforts,” says Kavoos G. Bassiri, President & CEO of RAMS, Inc. Click http://ramsinc.blogspot.com/2010/05/happy-asian-pacific-american-mental.html to read about the establishment of the Asian Pacific American Mental Health Day.

2015 APA Mental Health Day

Celebrating Mental Wellness on Mother's Day for the whole family at a Wellness Fair co-hosted with the Richmond District Neighborhood Center

2014 APA Mental Health Day

RAMS staff outreach to older adults at Self-Help For The Elderly

2013 APA Mental Health Day

RAMS and other providers speak at a press conference to discuss the issues of detecting and addressing mental health concerns in primary care & non-mental health care settings

2012: APA Mental Health Day Press Conference

RAMS partnered with NAAPIMHA and interTrend Communications to launch "Friends Do Make A Difference" campaign among high school students in San Francisco

2011: Knowing Our Roots and Growing Beyond

RAMS presented a one-day seminar on May 10, 2011, in honor of Asian Pacific American Mental Health Day

2010: RAMS Raffle & Summer Scooter Sweepstakes!

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What We Do

Our agency offers comprehensive services that aim to meet the behavioral health, social, vocational, and educational needs of the diverse community of the San Francisco Area, with special focus on the Asian & Pacific Islander American and Russian-speaking populations.

In addition, RAMS provides outreach and preventative services at many community locations, such as schools, childcare centers, social service agencies, and churches. We also provide clinical training and internships in all mental health disciplines. Services are available in English, Asian & Pacific Islander, Russian, and Spanish languages.